What is Christian faith?

Introduction: What is Christian Faith?

What is Faith?

As time goes on faith is slowly being drained of it’s biblical meaning and being replaced by other definitions.

One of Meagan’s questions for her philosophy homework this week was, “is there any point to reasoning for God’s existence or do you merely have to have faith”

As if faith was something unreasonable and blind. The popular image used to describe faith in our culture is a scene from Indiana Jones. He’s leaning against the door way and He’s looking at this bottomless pit. He needs to get across but couldn’t possibly jump it. Then he says, “It’s a leap of faith”. And he steps out into the cavern. Instead of falling to his death he lands on a hidden bridge. That’s faith. It’s when you don’t have any other option but to believe in order to move forward and so you blindly step out. NO!

Faith is not blind. Faith is not unreasonable. Faith is not jumping hoping there’s a net.

This is how the dictionary defines faith: “strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.”

Listen to me: this is NOT Christian faith.

Faith has 3 parts: content, belief, and action. Without all 3 you do not have faith.

Faith is knowing content

1 Peter 3:13–15 (NIV)

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

* Be prepared to give a reason. Which means that your hope is reasonable. It’s not fairy tale nonsense.

I could, literally, sit up here and give you reasons and evidence for the God that I serve all day long. Think deeply about your hope in God and why you believe it. Understand, if I had a specialty this would be it. You don’t need to have a hundred reasons, but do you have one? Have you accepted the lie that faith is contrary to reason?

Faith is not the hope; faith is assurance based on God’s track record

Hebrews 11:1–3 (NIV)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Faith in confidence or assurance for our hope. Well what is our hope? Our hope is tomorrow. It’s the promises. The promises of redemption, salvation, our escape from God’s wrath. Faith is not the foundation of believing in God. Believing in God is the foundation for faith. You believe God, because of reason and evidence, therefore you trust, or have faith, in your hope, which is God working tomorrow as He said He would.

R.C Sproul

The idea is this: I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring, but I know that God knows what tomorrow is going to bring. So if God promises that tomorrow will bring something, and if I trust God for tomorrow, I have faith in something I have not yet seen. That faith serves as evidence because its object is God. I know Him; He has a track record—He is infallible and never lies. God knows everything and is perfect in whatever He communicates. So if God tells me that something is going to happen tomorrow, I believe it even though I haven’t seen it yet.

What is seen was not made out of what was visible:

The universe was made, not by God rearranging the matter and energy that already existed, but out of what was invisible. Ok, then what was invisible before matter and energy existed? God’s invisible attributes, His power and divine nature. Proverbs says out of His wisdom God created all things. Purely from His raw power God created all things and we have faith in that because of evidence and reason.

The apostles didn’t tell the people, you just have to have blind faith

2 Peter 1:13–21 (NIV)

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

What was the reason Peter gave for his faith? I saw it with my own eyes.

Your experience, your testimony, is a reason to believe your faith. Yes, scientists can’t study your experience in a lab and so they tell you it’s not a reason, but who cares what they say. Eyewitness testimony is admissible in the court of law as evidence, don’t dismiss your experience.

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 (NIV)

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

This is the content of our faith. But faith is more than knowledge but it’s not less than knowledge.

Faith is believing the content is true

How do you know whether or not you believe?

Faith is acting like what you believe is true

James 2:18–25 (NIV)

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?

Just like faith without content is useless, faith without deed is useless. Why? Because it’s incomplete.

Guy selling watches example

Imagine going to the strip district and there’s a guy selling watches. It’s a nice watch so you put it on your wrist and try to set the time. You go to turn the handle and it doesn’t work. So you say to the guy, hey this watch is broken. And he says no it isn’t. Then you show him and say, yes it is, look. You show him it’s not working. And he says, looks like it’s working fine. No matter what you do, no matter how many times you show him, he refuses to agree the watch is broken.

This is us when we blatantly act against our faith and refuse to acknowledge it. Your belief in God is not perfect and complete. You are still being sanctified. Acknowledge that so that you can meditate, pray, and figure out what it is your not believing that’s dulling your faith.

I had another conversation this week with an Atheist and they told me, I understand that you need believe in God, but it has to have it’s limits. There are some things your belief in God shouldn’t apply to. My response is, we fundamentally disagree. There is not one thing you believe or do that should not be effected by your faith.

Like a plant, what parts are dying, what parts need to be cut off so the rest can grow and bear fruit?

Faith has 3 parts: Content, Belief, Action

Faith has 3 parts

Content: Faith is not just believing anything for the sake of belief. You are not saved by faith, you are saved by faith in Christ Jesus, “I have faith.” In what? The “in what” is important.

Belief: Faith is not just knowing the content, it’s believing it’s true.

“Faith is not believing in God. It’s believing God.” It’s more than knowledge. It’s trust.

3. Action: Faith is acting like what you believe is true. Christian faith is not just in your head it’s your life. Your faith is not a set of doctrines, or spiritual feelings, or superstitions. Your faith is acting like God is who He says He is.

Faith is content, belief, and action which produces assurance in God’s plan for tomorrow.

The question of the day for next week will be; do you have faith in God or in Satan?